Armor piercing projectile



April 10, 1956 L. T. MEISTER 2,741,18

ARMOR PIERCING PROJECT'ILE Filed Jan. 30, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l L\ Kg 1 J'WQ/YVM Lem T.Mei5% Br Gamma/ s April 10, 195 L. T. MEISTER ARMOR PIERCING PROJECTILE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30. 1946 JUAN/V140! LE 1:; TMEiE iI Er ARMOR PIERCING PROJECTILE Leo T. Meister, Bradley Beach, N. J. Application January 30, 1946, Serial No. 644,383 8 Claims. (Cl. 102-52) (Granted under Title 35, U. 5. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

My invention refers to improvements in fuzes, particularly in connection with shaped charges.

Shaped charges having conical cavities which have the effect of concentrating the blast leaving the cavity into a jet of intense penetrating power have been in use for a long time. During the present war, the addition of steelcones as liners for the cavities has made them more penetrating and persistent than unlined ones. This present invention does not apply to these shaped charge cavities, per se, nor to the shape or angle of the lining of the cavities.

It isprincipally concerned with providing a means for overcoming a seriousdefect resulting when such shaped charges are used in armor-piercing projectiles. It appears that there is a loss of about 50% in the depth of penetration of the jet when the projectile is spun at speeds as are required for adequate flight stability. Since the functional aim in the use of armor piercing projectiles is to attain a maximum penetration before its own bursting charge is fired, such loss of depth in penetration as may result from the spreading of the jet as a result of centrifugal force within the projectile, with attendant loss of concentration of the blast, tends to limit and restrict the use of shaped charges having conical cavities in projectiles of this character.

The primary aim of this invention is to provide a means of eliminating the spinning of the shaped charge, or at least to so reduce the spin, that the maximum penetration of the jet may be attained without afiecting the rotational speed necessary for the flight stability of the projectile.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

The following drawings, forming part of the specification, illustrate the manner in which I attain these objects. Similar numbers are used to designate like parts throughout the specification and drawings.

Figure l is a longitudinal, substantially central, fragmentary sectional view of one form of the invention incorporated in a projectile.

Figure 2 is an enlarged similar view of a portion of a projectile showing the parts in positions assumed during the rotational flight of the projectile.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, substantially central, fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of the invention incorporated in a projectile, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the clutch.

Referring to the drawings, particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 4 the numeral 5 designates an artillery projectile of a character adapted to be fired from a rifled barrel and which is rotated thereby in flight, and includes a nose section 6, a windshield 7 and an armor piercing head 8. Inside the windshield, the numeral 9 designates a unit,

2,741,180 Patented Apr. 10, 1956 preferably circular in cross section, having light steel walls 10, formed with a funnel shaped opening 11 at the top, an axially disposed bore 12, and a cavity 13 which is divided transversely to furnish housing for a booster charge 14 in one compartment, and for the thrust bearings 15 and radial bearings 16 and the roller 17 in the other compartment. A cup-shaped clutch 18 of light metal, formed with vertical expansion slots 19 and a turned lip 20 is attached to the roller 17. The armor piercing head 8 is provided with an annular groove 21 to receive the turned lip 20 during the flight of the projectile.

The operation of this embodiment of the invention is as follows: The rotary motion of the projectile in flight, set up upon discharge from the gun, creates such force of set back as will release the unit 9, which has been held against the inner surface of the windshield walls, supported by the pressure of the clutch 18 against the armor piercing head 8, and tends to force the entire mass rearwardly. The resulting pressure against the clutch 18 will cause it to expand, and will force it along the edges of the armor piercing head until the turned lip 20 of the clutch 18 engages the annular groove 21, and the clutch 18, with the attached roller 17, will be spun with the projectile. Because of the resistance set up through the thrust bearings 15 and the radial bearings 16, the unit 9 will be held in a state of inertia, stationary or very nearly so, so that the spinning of the shaped charges 22 held in the charge chambers will be eliminated, and the concentration of the jet will not be interfered with.

Referring to Figure 3, another form of the invention is indicated. In general, the type of projectile and the function of the invention will be the same as heretofore described, but in lieu of the unit 9 with cone shaped opening, the clutch 18, and stabilizing bearings 15 and 16 arranged in the manner described, spinning of the shaped charges will be eliminated in the following manner. An adaptor 23 is crimped to the armor piercing head of the projectile and provided with means for attaching the windshield 7. It will also furnishshoulders for the raceway of the thrust bearings 24. The circular unit 25 has light steel walls 26, with the walls so arranged as to form shoulders for the raceway of the radial bearings '28, and a tubular opening 29. The unit is provided with a hemispherical cavity 27 and an axially disposed bore 30, the cavity having a light metal liner 31 integral with a similar tube liner 32 of the bore, thus providing charge chambers 33 to hold the shaped charge 34 and the booster 35.

When the projectile in flight is rotating, the adaptor 23 and the attached windshield will rotate also. However, due to the bearings 24 and 28 the unit 25 and the enclosed shaped charge 34 remain stationary through inertia.

It is to be understood that that form of the invention herewith shown on Figures 1, 2 and 4 and described, and the modification of the same as shown on Figure 3 and described, are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A projectile having a longitudinal axis of symmetry comprising an armor-piercing head, an explosive charge having a forwardly-opening shaped cavity and means mounting said charge in forwardly-spaced axially-aligned position with respect to said armor-piercing head, said means including an antifriction bearing having an axis coincident with said axis of symmetry whereby said armor-piercing head and said charge may have relative rotation about said axis.

2. The projectile of claim 1 in which said means also cludes a clutch between said bearing and said head and gaging said head in response to set-back in firing.

3. The projectile of claim 2 in which said head has a ripheral' groove adjacent its nose, said clutch cornising a plurality of spring fingers engaging said groove response to set-back in firing.

4. A projectile having a longitudinal axis of symmetry mprising an armor-piercing head, an explosive charge .ving a forwardly-opening shaped cavity and antifriction aring means mounting said charge in forwardly-spaced .ially-aligned relation on and for rotation with respect said headabout said longitudinal axis.

5. The projectile of claim 4, there being a peripheral cave in said head adjacent the nose thereof, a clutch ember having a plurality of spring fingers and a rwardly-directed central shaft, said antifriction bearing eans comprising an inner race journaled on said shaft 1d an outer race journaled in said charge, said clutch ember, bearing means and charge moving rearwardly in sponse to set-back until said spring fingers engage said oove, whereby said clutch member is secured to said :ad.

6. In a projectile, an armor-piercing head having a ngitudinal spin axis, an explosive charge having a rwardly-opening cavity, means mounting said charge forwardly-spaced axially-aligned position with respect said head, said charge being axially translatable rearardly toward said head in response to set-back on firing, utch means interposed between said charge and said :ad and adapted to engage and grip said head on setlCk, and an antifriction bearing interconnecting said utch means andcharge for relative rotation about said ngitudinal spin axis.

7. A projectile comprising an armor-piercing head hava longitudinal axis of symmetry and an ogival nose rtion, there being a peripheral groove in said portion, ogival nose cap secured to said head rearwardly of said groove and enclosing .the same, an explosive charge having a forwardly-directed shaped cavity, a clutch comprising a plurality of bowed spring fingers normally contacting said head just forward of said groove, a shaft secured to and projecting forwardly from said clutch coaxially of said axis of symmetry, antifriction bearing means journaling said charge upon said shaft for rotation on said axis, said charge at its forward edge normally frictionally contacting said nose cap, said clutch, bearing and charge translating rearwardly in response to set-back in firing, until said clutch fingers engage said groove, whereby said charge is attached to said head and simul taneously freed for rotation on said shaft.

8. A spin stabilized armor-piercing head, a nose cap secured to the forward end of said head coaxially thereof, an explosive charge having a forwardly-directed shaped cavity, a casing for said charge including a tubular, forwardly-directed projection, said nose cap being hollow to provide a chamber forwardly of said head, a radial bearing 7 mounted on said projection and journaling said casing and charge for rotation in said chamber, and a thrust bearing between the rearward end of said nose cap and casing.

, References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 

